Firing



0. FIRING Feb. 14, 1956 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ZIPPER FASTENEIR STRINGERS 3 Sheets-Sheet l 7 Original Filed July 28 1950 INVENTOR Osborne Firing TTORNEY Feb. 14, 1956 o. FIRING 2,734,546

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ZIPPER FASTENER STRINGERS Original Filed July 28, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 6 I Osborne Fir-i115 A TORNEY Feb. 14, 1956 o. EIRING 2,734,546

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ZIPPER FASTENER STRINGERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed July 28, 1950 a I v R 56, 10) x V IN ENTO ,4 54 39 Osborne Flt-1mg E '15! BY 54d, \L I \Q 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR lvfAKlNG ZIPPER FASTENER STRINGERS Osborne Firing, Woodbury, Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Coun., a corporation of Connecticut 13 Claims. (Ci. 153l) My invention is an improved process and apparatus for making zipper fastener stringers. It relates to the control and feeding of the tapes to which the zipper fastener elements are attached.

This invention is a continuation of my co-pending application, Serial No. 176,423, filed July 28, 1950, now abandoned.

In the manufacture of zipper fastener stringers the common practice is to feed a long continuous tape through the attaching machine which attaches the fastener elements to the tape in spaced apart groups. In one type of machine a single tape is fed stepwise, each step being equal to the spacing of the elements within a group, and after a group is completed a quick or jump feed is imparted to the tape between successive operations of the machine. While this is satisfactory for relatively slow speed machines, it is not practical for high speed operations due to inertia and other factors.

In other types of machines a single tape is fed stepwise in the same manner, but instead of using a jump feed at the end of the group, the element forming and applying mechanism is halted for sufiicient time to allow the feeding of the tape the required distance to form the blank space between groups. The disadvantage of this type of machine is a loss in production capacity of the element forming and applying mechanism an average of about 25% depending of course on the length of the zipper being made and the desired length of blank or gap space between groups.

It has also heretofore been proposed to use two tapes and two attaching mechanisms in combination with a single element forming mechanism, wherein elements would be applied to one tape by one attaching mechanism whose operation would be interrupted while the other attaching mechanism would apply elements to a second tape. However, due to the complication of two attaching mechanisms and other factors, these machines are also not entirely satisfactory.

It is an object of the present invention to utilize only a single continuous operating element attaching mechanism in combination with a plurality of tapes, preferably two, and to provide means for switching the tapes toward and away from the element attaching mechanism, so that elements are continuously applied to one tape until a group is completed, whereupon that tape is shifted out of the way and simultaneously the other tape is shifted into position where a group of elements is applied to the second tape. Although it was a diificult problem to shift these tapes and tape holders in the extremely small time interval between successive operations of the attaching mechanism, I have devised a very simple and ingenious mechanism for accomplishing this operation.

My improved process and apparatus involves also a novel method of feeding the tapes and stopping their feed 2,734,546 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 when desired. Due to factors of inertia, varying tensions, etc., I have discovered it is important to have the tape which is about to receive a group of elements already in action by its stepwise feeding device at least a few steps prior to receiving the initial elements of a group.

According to my improved process the feed of the first tape is stopped immediately after it is switched out of element receiving position and then started up again, while elements are being attached to the second tape at the proper time to provide the desired gap space between groups just prior to the completion of the group of elements on the second tape. a

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means for changing the length of the zipper fastener and also if desired to change the length of the gap space between groups of elements.

A more specific object is to combine with suitable electrical devices for controlling the tape switching and tape feeding operations, accurate circuit control devices capable of supplying the actuating current during only a fraction of the time interval between successive operations of the attaching mechanism.

Another specific object is to provide means for shifting the tapes and tape holders toward and away from the element attaching station in such a manner as to avoid interference with the rapidly moving parts of the attaching mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one embodiment of my invention associated with a fastener element forming and attaching machine of the kind disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 92,623, filed May 11, 1949, although it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is applicable to other types of element forming and attaching machines.

In the drawings:

' Fig. l is a diagrammatic view showing the principle of operation of my improved process and apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail through one of the tape holders and element attaching mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with parts removed, showing the same portion of the machine as seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 5.

' Fig. 5 is a partial plan view which shows the tape switching device.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing one side of one of the tape holders.

'Fig. 7 is a partial sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the element attaching position advanced to the tape, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the carrier washers for the tape holders.

In this application there are shown only parts of the complete fastenerstringer making machine described in my prior application above referred to.

In the diagrammatic view there is indicated the main shaft 8 driven from a suitable source of power indicated at 9, and having mounted thereon the eccentric or cam 10 for operating the main slide unit 11. This shaft also carries eccentrics 12 for actuating the clamping or attaching tools 13 through the medium of slide bars 14 which are all more fully disclosed in my aforesaid application. The main slide 11 carries the forming die 15in which the fastener element 16 is formed and by which it is carried forward to a position astride one of the tapes; The wire W, from which the fastener element blanks are sliced by the stationary knife 17 on the back stroke of the slide, is fed upwardly by suitable feed rolls indicated at 18 which are driven by a ratchet and pawl device indicated at 19 from a cam or eccentric 20 on the main shaft 8.

There are herein indicated a pair of tapes 21 and 22 fed upwardly over drums 23 and 24 respectively, each of which is operated stepwise by a ratchet and pawl device, actuated in any suitable known manner from an eccentric 0r cam 25 on the main shaft. The pawl 26 operates the drum 23 to feed the tape 21 and at the desired time may be held out of operation by a pin 27 projecting from pawl 26 and engaged by a bar 28, and a similar pawl 29 controlling the feed of tape 22 may be held out of place at the desired times by a similar bar 30 engaging a pin 29! projecting from pawl 29. The bar 28 is pivoted to a Tshapedlever. 31 which in turn is pivoted at the station my point 32 so that. when solenoid 33 is energized, the bar 28 is moved to the right as seen in Fig. 1, allowing the feed pawl 26 to operate, and when the solenoid 34 is energized. the bar 23 is moved to the left lifting the pawl 26 upwardly out of engagement with its. ratchet, thus stopping the feed of tape 21. Similarly when the solenoid 35. is

energized, tape 22 will be fed stepwise and when solenoid 36 is energized, tape 22 will be stopped.

As best seen in Fig. 5, tape 21 is guided and held in place at the attaching station by its tape holder consisting of a pair of holding fingers or plates 37 while tape 22 is held by a similar pair of fingers or plates 38 shown in Fig. 5 in the withdrawn position. One of these holder fingers is shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 6. In the depending portion 39 of each of the fingers located below the level of die 15, these is a groove 40 adapted to fit around and loosely grip the beaded edge of the tape while the cut-back upper portion forms a tucking finger 41 on the level of the die 15. This construction permits the tucking fingers to enter a recess in the die itself just below the fastener element 16 to hold the beaded edge firmly in the crotch of the element while being attached. Each of these tape holding fingers has a rearward extension 42.

- Each pair of tape holding fingers is supported between upper and lower carrier washers 43 and 44 respectively, one of which is shown in Fig. 8. Each of these washers has converging grooves 45 on each side of a central hole 46. At least one of the washers of each pair, herein the upper washer has a cross groove 47 matching with a groove 58 in each of the tape holder fingers, and a pin 49 extending through the grooves 47 and .8 locks the holder fingers in position. This assembly of the tape holder fingers 37 and carrier washers 43 and 44 pivots on a bolt 50 eXtending through a pair of spaced arms 51 of a tape holder operating unit or switch block 52. A second pair of arms 53 extending at an angle to the arms 51 similarly carries a bolt 59a about which the. other pair of tape holder fingers 38 are adapted to pivot. The switch block 52 is rigidly mounted on the end of a vertical shaft 54 spaced a suitable distance from the attaching mechanism and preferably in line with the path of travel of the slide 11. Shaft 54 is tapered at the upper end to fit in a tapered hole in theswitch block and is held in place by a recessed cap screw 55. Thus the tape holder fingers 37 and 38 are freely and pivotally mounted between the pairs of arms 51 and 53 respectively, the pivotal mountings being spaced from one another a suitable distance, and of course being spaced from or eccentric to the shaft 54.

The shaft 54 is journaled in upper and lower bearings 56 and 57 mounted in opposite ends of housing 54a, and keyed; to the lower end of the shaft is a cross arm 58. A solenoid 59 connected to one end of the cross arm 58 will shift the switch block 52 in one direction to place the tape 22 in position to receive fastener elements, while a solenoid 69 connected to the other end of the cross arm will move the switch block to the other position where tape 21 will be shifted into position to receive fastener elements. What happens during this switching movement can best be seen in Figs. 4 and 5. Assuming that the parts are in the position shown with the die carrying slide 11 retracted as seen in Fig. 4, and the solenoid 59 is energized, the

switch block 52'will turn counterclockwise, withdrawing the holder fingers 37 and simultaneously advancing the holder fingers 38 into the same position which fingers 37 had occupied. During this movement, of course, the holder fingers are free to pivot on the bolts 50 and their leading or free ends are guided on one side by the adjacent set of holder fingers and on the other side in either advancing or withdrawing by guide fingers 61. As seen in Fig. 5, each pair of holder fingers is more closely guided at the end of its advance directly between the adjacent tapered ends of the guide fingers 61. These guide fingers 61 are stationary and being located below the path of the slide 11, as seen in Fig. 4, contact only the projections 39 of each pair of holder fingers. By means of this mechanism it is therefore seen that the tapes are advanced and withdrawn in a direction more nearly parallel to the plane of the tape than at right angles to or sidewise of the tape. Expressed in another way the alternate movement of the tape holders to and away from the attaching mechanism is substantially lineally of the holder fingers. The important thing is that their movement while adjacent the attaching mechanism be substantially in line with the path of movement of the slide 11. Thus the time interval allowed for the switching operation can be considerably greater because if the tapes were merely switched sidewise, the whole operation would have to be completed during the minute time interval while the slide 11 is in its fully retracted position, whereas by withdrawing them endwise of the slide there is no interference with the die or slide even though it is in a partially advanced position. This feature of my invention permits a substantial increase in speed of the entire machine.

The circuit control mechanism for the various sole.- noids above described will now be explained by refer ence to the diagram of Fig. 1. An endless film strip 62. of suitable dielectric material is supported between a, driven roll 63 and an idler roll 64, the driven roll 63 being continuously operated from the main shaft 8 through suitable reduction gearing, herein diagrammatically indicated by the numeral 65. It will be understood that the idler roll 64 is mounted for vertical adjustment so as to. accommodate different lengths of film strip. The film strip is punched to provide one or more sets of holes 66, 67, 68 and in line with a set of contact brushes 70, 71, 72 and 73, respectively. It will thus be. seen that. when any one of the holes in the film strip arrives oppoa sitev its contact brush an electrical connection will be established between that brush and the idler roll 64. Current is supplied to the idler roll 64 from L1 through a contact brush 74. The brushes 70, 71, 72 and 73. are connected to one, side of suitable amplifier tubes 75, 76, '77 and 78 respectively, and the circuit is completed to the feed side. on the amplifier tubes through wire. 79 and a switch 80 to L2. Switch 80 is designed to make contact under the control of cam 81 on the main shaft 8. 1 term this switch a vernier switch and its purpose. is to define the time interval during which current is supplied to the various solenoids, it being understood. that this Vernier switch is timed to make contact only during a fraction of the revolution of the main shaft, preferably while the main slide 11 is in its retracted position. The output side of amplifier 75 is connected only to solenoid 35. The output side of amplifier 76 connects both to solenoid 59 and to solenoid 34, while amplifier 77 con nects only to solenoid 3x3, and amplifier 78 connects both to solenoid 69 and solenoid 36,.

The operation of this circuit control mechanism will now be readily understood. Assuming the parts are in the. position shown in Fig. l, tape 21 is receiving fastener elements and is being fed stepwise by its tape feed mechanism 23, and tape 22 is in the withdrawn position and standing idle. Now when hole 66 in film strip 62 comes opposite brush 70, solenoid 35 will be energized for the proper time interval under control of the vernier switch St), withdrawing the control bar 39 to the right and starting the stepwise feeding of the tape 22 while it is in its withdrawn position and not receiving fastener ele ments. When hole 67 comes opposite its contact brush 71, current is simultaneously supplied for the minute time interval when switch 80 is closed by cam 81 to solenoids 59 and 34, thus simultaneously switching the tapes and stopping the feed of tape 21. It will thus be noted that when tape 22 is switched into position it has already been feeding stepwise and is under the same conditions of tension and inertia as when it is in operation receiving fastener elements. This avoids rnisspacing of the initial fastener elements which has been a common defect in fastener making machines.

When hole 68 comes opposite its contact brush 72, solenoid 33 is energized to start up the stepwise feeding of tape 21 while it is in its withdrawn position. When the fourth hole 69 comes oppostie brush 73, solenoids 60 and 36 are energized simultaneously switching the tapes and stopping the feed of tape 22 which has just been withdrawn. In each case it will be understood that current is supplied only when switch 80 is closed. The cycle is thus completed and the operations are repeated.

It will now be evident that by calculation from the reduction gearing and driving roll diameter the various holes in the film tape may be spaced to provide any desired length of fastener or group spacing. Any film strips may be readily replaced by another film strip when different lengths of gap space are desired. These film strips can be prepared in accordance with orders for fasteners, thus avoiding expensive adjustments by the machine operator and likewise minimizing errors.

From the foregoing statement of objects and the description of operation the marked advantages of my improved process and apparatus for making zipper fasteners stringers will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

While I have illustrated and described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be recognized that the invention may be embodied in various forms or combined with various types of machines.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for attaching zipper fastener elements in spaced groups to a plurality of tapes, the combination of a single continuously operating mechanism for continuously attaching elements at a single station, a tape feeding device for each of said tapes operable to advance the tape in steps equal to the desired spacing of the elements within a group, a tape holder for each tape for holding its tape either at the attaching station or in a position away from said station, and means for simultaneously moving said tape holders to withdraw one tape from the attaching station and to place the other at the same attaching station between two consecutive operations of the attaching mechanism.

2. In apparatus for attaching zipper fastener elements in spaced groups to a plurality of tapes, the combination of a single continuously operating mechanism for continuously attaching elements at a single station, a tape feeding device for each of said tapes operable to advance the tape in steps equal to the desired spacing of the elements within a group, a tape holder for each tape for holding its tape either at the attaching station or in a position away from said station, devices for switching the positions of the tape holders to withdraw one tape from the attaching station after a complete group of elements has been applied thereto and simultaneously to place another of the tapes at the same attaching station, and control means for the tape feeding devices maintaining in operation the tape feeding device for each tape while at the attaching station and for the necessary interval while in the withdrawn position to provide the desired spacing of the groups of fastener elements.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the tape feed control means is operable to maintain the tape feed device for each tape in operation to provide at least part 6 of the group spacing immediately prior to the switching of that tape to the attaching station. 7

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein the devices for switching said tape holders include an actuating solenoid, and means controlling the current to the solenoid in timed relation to the operation of the fastener element attaching mechanism.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the current control means includes one current control device operable to make electrical connection at intervals and a vernier switch in series therewith operable to complete a circuit during such intervals but only for a fraction of each interval.

6. The combination of claim 2 wherein the movement of each tape toward and away from the attaching station is more nearly in a direction parallel to the plane of the tape than at right angles to said plane.

7. In the art of making zipper fastener stringers the method of applying zipper fastener elements to a plurality of tapes which includes applying by a single continuous operating attaching mechanism a group of elements to a first tape while stepwise feeding the tape, withdrawing the first tape from said attaching mechanism and simultaneously placing a second tape in position to receive fastener elements from said attaching mechanism, applying a group of elements to the second tape by said attaching mechanism while feeding the second tape stepwise, feeding each tape stepwise while in its withdrawn position for a part of the interval while the other tape is receiving fastener members to provide the gap space between groups.

8. In the art of making zipper fastener stringers that method defined in claim 7 wherein the interval during which the withdrawn tape is fed to provide the gap space is immediately prior to its being switched into position to receive fastener members from the attaching mechanism.

9. In apparatus for attaching zipper fastener elements in spaced groups to a plurality of tapes, the combination of claim 2 wherein the control means for the tape holder switching devices includes a pair of actuating solenoids and the control means for the tape feeding device includes at least one solenoid for each tape feeding device, and means for controlling the current to all of said solenoids which includes a film strip with holes therein at predetermined spaced intervals and means for establishing electrical connection to said solenoids through said holes.

10. The combination of claim 9, and a vernier switch operable in predetermined timed relation to the element attaching mechanism for limiting the time interval of the supply of current to said solenoids.

11. In apparatus for attaching zipper fastener elements in spaced groups alternately to a plurality of tapes, the combination of a single continuously operating element attaching mechanism, a tape feeding device for each of saidtapes, a tape holder for each tape, a tape holder operating unit having a pivotal mounting spaced from said attaching mechanism, said tape holders being pivotally mounted on said unit in spaced relationship and eccentric to the pivot axis of said unit, guide means for said holders leading toward said attaching mechanism, and means for oscillating said unit whereby said holders will be alternately directed to and away from said attaching mechamsm.

12. In apparatus for attaching zipper fastener elements in spaced groups alternately to a plurality of tapes, the combination of a single continuously operating element attaching mechanism, a tape feeding device for each of said tapes, a tape holder for each tape, a tape holder operating unit having a pivotal mounting spaced from said attaching mechanism, said tape holders being pivotally mounted on said unit in spaced relationship and eccentric to the pivotal axis of said unit, guide means for said holders leading toward said attaching mechanism, and means for oscillating said unit whereby said holders will be alternately directed substantially lineally to and away from said attaching mechanism.

13. In apparatus for attaching zipper fastener elements in spaced.:.g1:oups alternately to t a plurality of tapes, the combination of a single continuously operating element *attachingmeehanism, :agtape ifeedi lg device for {each of ,said-tap,es,;a .tape holderwforaeaeh tape, :a tape holder operating unit pivoted ona-Mertical shaftspaqed from said attaching mechanism, said ,tape holders being pivotally mounted on said operating unit at one :end of each .tape

holder, said pivotal mountings being spaced from one another randspacfid. {mm said-vertical shaft, guides vconfining the ,otheror free ends of said holders to direct-said free ends alternately to vor away from said attaching mechanism upon oscillationrof said holder operating unit and means for o scillating saidlo perating unit.

No references cited 

